Hermès Bag Types: Every Style and Name Explained birkin bag hermes

Author : Delgado Busch | Published On : 10 Sep 2026

Every Hermès bag has a story, a waitlist, or both. hermes birkin 30 bag in matte alligator makes far more than the two icons everyone knows. Below we break down the different Hermès bag names, the purpose of each style, rough pricing, and which ones are actually available to walk-in buyers.

Already know which model you are after? Skip straight to it below. If you are starting from zero, read in order — the styles are grouped by how hard they are to get.

Quota Bags Explained: Birkin and Kelly

Hermès limits how many of its two flagship bags a client can buy each year. Among collectors, these are known as the quota bags. Ordering one outright is not possible. They are offered to established clients only, which is why resale prices for both sit far above retail.

Hermès Birkin Bag

The Birkin is arguably the most famous handbag on earth. It is a structured tote with two top handles, a turn-lock closure, and no shoulder strap. The most common sizes are the 25, 30, and 35.

Hermès Birkin bag prices start around $11,000–$12,000 retail for a Togo leather 25, and climb steeply with exotic skins. Pre-owned, popular sizes and colors command $20,000 and up. The most expensive Hermès bags ever sold are diamond-set crocodile Birkins, with auction results in the hundreds of thousands.

Hermès Kelly Bag

The Hermès Kelly bag is the older, more elegant sibling — a single top handle, a sculpted flap, and a removable shoulder strap. You can choose between two builds — the rigid Sellier and the softer Retourne. Grace Kelly made it famous in 1956, and the house renamed the bag after her.

Pricing lands close to the Birkin: about $10,000–$11,500 retail, depending on size and leather. The mini Kelly bag — the Kelly 20 — is presently the toughest to obtain, with resale often at twice retail.

Kelly vs Birkin, summed up: the Kelly is more formal and fully closes with its flap, while the Birkin is casual, roomier, and quicker to access.

Icons You Can Actually Order (No Quota)

Busy boutiques may test your patience, but these styles carry no yearly cap. Many buyers consider this the smartest place to spend.

Hermès Constance Bag

This structured shoulder bag with the large "H" clasp is the closest Hermès comes to a logo bag. It transitions from day to night and retains value nearly as well as the quota bags. Retail starts around $8,500 for the Constance 18.

Hermès Evelyne Bag

The Evelyne is the maison's laid-back crossbody bag. It has a perforated "H" on the front, an open top with a tab closure, and a wide canvas strap. Its original job was hauling equestrian grooming kit, which is why the holes are there. Priced near $3,500–$4,000, it is one of the easiest everyday Hermès bags to actually own.

Hermès Lindy Bag

A slouchy double-zip design, the Lindy works both handheld and over the shoulder. The soft silhouette has made it a go-to for travel. Lately, the Mini Lindy has emerged as the trend piece of the family.

Hermès Picotin Bag

Inspired by a horse's feed bag, the Picotin is a small open bucket style. There is no lining and no hardware fuss, only a lock-through closure. Anyone looking up a Hermès bucket bag is really looking for this. Starting near $3,000, it is often cited as the cheapest Hermès bag in leather.

Hermès Garden Party Bag

A practical canvas-and-leather tote for daily errands. As the workhorse of the range, the Garden Party is also among the easiest styles to find in store. The all-leather versions cost more; the canvas mix keeps the entry price lower.

Other Hermès Bag Names Worth Knowing

The catalog runs deep. These styles come up constantly in boutiques and on the resale market:

Bolide — a rounded zip-top design and one of the first zippered handbags in history.
Roulis — a compact shoulder bag with a signature metal clasp — a subtler take on the Constance.
Herbag — a canvas body under a leather Kelly-style flap, with interchangeable bags on a single frame.
Geta — a petite curved crossbody in Swift leather that debuted in 2022 and remains in demand.
Victoria — a soft, unstructured travel and everyday tote.
Della Cavalleria — Hermès's saddle bag shape, finished with a clasp borrowed from equestrian hardware.
In-the-Loop — a contemporary bucket shape, especially popular pre-owned in the 18 size.
24/24, Halzan, Jypsière, Kelly Danse — versatile shoulder and crossbody styles that convert between carries.

On the men's side, the Haut à Courroies (the Birkin's ancestor), the Steve messenger bag, and the Cityback line anchor the Hermès men's bag range.

Hermès Bag Prices: How Much Is a Hermès Bag?

In short: from around $3,000 to far beyond $100,000. Here is a realistic price ladder:

Entry (canvas and small leather): Herbag, Garden Party canvas, Picotin — around $3,000–$4,500
Everyday leather: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — roughly $3,500–$9,000
Structured icons: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — around $8,500–$13,000+ at retail
Exotic skins and rarities: crocodile, ostrich, and limited runs — from $30,000 into six figures

Prices rise most years, and secondary-market prices for quota bags typically sit 1.5–2x retail.

How to Actually Get a Hermès Bag

You can find the Evelyne, Picotin, Garden Party, and comparable styles as walk-in stock, particularly at bigger boutiques. A Birkin or Kelly realistically comes one of two ways: a purchase history built with a sales associate, or a reputable pre-owned reseller.

If you go pre-owned, authentication is everything. Before spending a cent, learn how to tell if a Hermès bag is real — inspect the heat stamp, the slightly angled hand-sewn saddle stitching, the hardware engravings, and the craftsman blind stamp. A fake Hermès bag typically reveals itself through machine-perfect stitching and flimsy hardware. If in doubt, pay for professional authentication — the fee is nothing compared with the bag's price.

There is a separate reward in vintage Hermès bags. Older Kellys and Bolides frequently cost less than new non-quota styles, with patina no new bag can imitate.

Which Hermès Bag Should You Buy First?

Want a single answer? The Evelyne for casual days, the Constance for dressier lifestyles, and the Picotin for the cheapest route into Hermès leather. Chase the Birkin or Kelly once you know the house — or buy authenticated pre-owned and skip the waitlist entirely.

Related reading: our Hermès leather guide plus Birkin vs Kelly deep dive.